Have you ever been in the middle of a long bike ride and thought to yourself, “Boy, I could really go for some ice cream right now?” Well it soon might be your lucky day, because Cereal City Athletics is putting on the Ice Cream Century, a 100-kilometer bike ride that stops at three ice cream shops along the way.

The 62-mile ride is set for June 4 and will stop at Station 66, Turkeyville, and Lickity Split, where riders can choose items from a specialized list, which will be included in their registration fee.

There will also be a shorter 40-mile ride for those who do not wish to ride the full course, but the short route will only stop at two ice cream shops.

“Ice cream may not be your cup of tea first thing in the morning,” said ride coordinator Nikki Elder. “But luckily, the first stop is Station 66 so you can opt for a coffee and donuts instead. In addition to the ice cream, if you need something a little more substantial, Kellogg Community College will be hosting a pit stop for riders on the full route between Turkeyville and Lickity Split.”

Both routes will begin at Team Active in downtown Battle Creek and utilize mostly back roads that are frequently used by cyclists. The route will be clearly marked, and riders can even download the MapMyRun app and view the route from there.

Elder got the idea for the ride after participating in a similar event in Three Oaks, Michigan called the Apple Cider Century.

“I decided we needed to have an event like that around here,” said Elder. “I started to think about what would entice folks to ride that many miles and was inspired by the numerous group ice cream rides from Team Active in which riders ride to a local ice cream shop and back. To me the two concepts naturally went well together, and we have so many great ice cream shops in the area!”

While some biking experience is recommended, the Ice Cream Century is an event for riders of all abilities.

“You will most definitely want to have some base miles, but you do not need to be a highly-skilled rider,” explained Elder. “Several stops, as well as the whole day time frame, make it nice. It’s not a race. You can stop, enjoy your ice cream, stretch your legs, and hang out before moving on.”

The ride will begin between 9:30-11 a.m. at Team Active on June 4, and participants can complete the course at their own pace, as long as they are to the finish line by 5:30 p.m. At the finish line, Gorilla Gourmet will be providing a post-ride meal.

All riders must register by May 28, and there will be no race-day registration as the ice cream shops will need to have final numbers several days in advance.